Sins of a Father
by Firecall
Summary: A new enemy emerges for Team Arrow, an enemy with a deep connection to their past, and suffering follows in his wake. Story is post-Season 3, uses established Olicity. Uses H.I.V.E as an enemy. Gives some villains a little more backstory and depth. The non-show characters are easter eggs.


He cleaned his blade, looking at the destruction his fight had wrought. Tables were broken, shattered glass was strewn across the room. Two corpses lie in the center, cloaked in the black battle garb of an Assassin. _They never learn_ he thought. _But every once in a while, they send one I was looking for_. He looked at a third assailant, unconscious and bound. Pulling a small list out a pocket on his body armor, he crossed a name off, then mumbled something to no one in particular. "Nizar. Number six. One more, and then it's your turn Mr. Queen." He placed the list back into his pocket and returned his blade to its shoulder mounted sheath. Now the hard part began. Finding number seven.

The Arrow surveyed the city he swore he'd never fail. Lately, he felt like he wasn't making good on that promise. Returning to his life as a vigilante; leaving behind the freedom he chose after his ordeal with Ra's al-Ghul was not easy. He had felt, for the first time since before the island, happy. Truly happy. But eventually reality caught up with Oliver and Felicity, in the form of a barely living Diggle. So return he did, and to his great joy John has since recovered. But his city hasn't. The disease that plagued Starling had only changed names: H.I.V.E. Ra's had warned him about them when he was still Heir to the Demon. And they had finally arrived. Their purpose was unclear, but they had been busy, and their agents were powerful and many. But these troubles were not his to bear alone. Not anymore.

It seemed Oliver had his fill of self reflection this night. He returned to his new base of operations, a small secondary facility he had set up when he first returned home three years ago. It was part of an old complex formerly owned by Queen consolidated. Oliver might not own it anymore, but as of yet no one had attempted to use it. He lowered his hood and placed his bow back on its stand. None of the others were here. There was no emergency this night. As he unstrapped his quiver, he heard...something. He grabbed his bow, nocked an arrow, and drew the string back as he turned to face his intruder. After a moment of recognition, he lowered his bow.

"Malcolm" he said to the Demon himself, draped in black robes. Merlyn smiled.

"I go by another name these days Oliver. I wanted to thank you again for that." He said, walking towards Oliver.

"That doesn't require a visit though, does it?" Oliver replied, still holding his bow tightly.

"No, I suppose it doesn't. I see H.I.V.E has been taking its toll on the city. On you. They are a problem for me as well. I inherited this shadow war from the last Ra's." Malcolm said stopping just before Oliver.

"I've crossed paths with a few of their agents. It didn't end well for them. Just like it won't end well for you if you don't tell my why you're really here." Oliver said, his voice dripping with malcontent. Malcolm retained his grin.

"Grant Kimble. Does that name mean anything to you?" Malcolm said, eagerly awaiting his answer.

"No, it doesn't. Should it" Oliver said defiantly.

"Perhaps you may know him by his paternal surname, Wilson." Oliver raised an eyebrow. Malcolm had struck a cord.

"Slade." Oliver whispered under his breath. "Slade?" He said again, this time to Malcolm.

"His son."

"Slade's son was named Joe. He never mentioned any other," Oliver said, recalling the island once more.

"I don't imagine he would, considering Grant is a bastard. Some fathers...aren't as accepting of their illegitimate offspring." Malcolm said.

"Why does Slade's son matter?" Oliver said, awaiting the twist that would inevitably end with more work for himself.

"He's been hunting members of the League. Some he kills, others he captures. We don't know why. He was once part of H.I.V.E but, it seems he's since gone rogue." Malcolm paused. Oliver didn't allow him to resume.

"I don't see what this has to do with me!"

"Because one of the few that have survived an encounter with him mentioned a list he's working through. And the only person on that list who isn't an Assassin...is you." Merlyn looked pleased with himself. His charm disgusted Oliver.

"What is the list of?" Oliver said loudly, losing patience.

"We're not sure. All seven of the League members on the list have never all worked together on the same job, and you, well," He laughed a bit. "You've never really done any work for us. What we do know is that H.I.V.E is also hunting him. My agents have crossed paths with theirs in pursuit of him. But whatever he wants, he'll be in Starling soon. I just thought you deserved a warning." His smile waned."This man is dangerous Oliver. Do not underestimate him." Merlyn's eyes darted towards the glass container that held a red leather outfit. "And keep my daughter safe." Oliver nodded slowly.

"Is that all?" Oliver said. Malcolm pulled something out from beneath his robes. Oliver tightened his grip on his bow. He placed a file onto the table beside them.

"This is all we have on him. I sent Nyssa after him three days ago; she's better than the other ten that I've sent and the four he hunted down, but I fear it still won't be enough." Malcolm turned and began walking away. "Protect my daughter Oliver." He said, disappearing into the shadows. Oliver sighed and placed his bow down. He thumbed through the file. There were pictures, U.S army enlistment papers, Australian citizenship applications. This was too much for tonight. Oliver placed the file down. This was work for tomorrow. He needed some rest, and no doubt Felicity was waiting for him. When they were running ops together, it was one thing. But when he went out alone, she was less than pleased. Tomorrow. The work began then.

They were all here. Diggle, Felicity, Thea. Each ready to play their part in today's mission. But today, they had something different. Oliver began. "I know why H.I.V.E has been quiet these last few weeks." He handed the file to Felicity. "Felicity, bring up everything you can on Grant Kimble." She began typing and windows began appearing on her multi-screen set-up. Thea crossed her arms.

"Who is Grant Kimble?" She asked.

"Slade's son." Oliver said.

"Oliver I thought you said his son was twelve." Diggle asked, clearly not pleased with the mission of the day.

"His son Joe is. But he has another. Illegitimate. Malcolm was here last night, and dropped off that file." Thea scoffed. "He said Grant's been hunting members of the League, and every assassin they've sent after him either disappeared or wound up dead. He sent Nyssa after him a few days ago. He isn't optimistic." Felicity turned from her computers. Diggle spoke up.

"Oliver I don't see what this has to do with us?" He said. The rest seemed equally confused.

"Well, besides that fact that it's Slade's son, he's a rogue element of H.I.V.E and.." Oliver sighed. "And he has a list he's been working through. I'm the last name on that list. Merlyn doesn't know what the connection is between the names on the list, but I'm the only one on it who isn't a League member." No one moved for a moment. Diggle then spoke up.

"So Grant wants revenge for daddy. Maybe that list matters, maybe this is all a trick by Merlyn to distract you while he lines up a kill shot." Diggle folded his arms.

"Maybe. But I don't think so. Diggle, reach out to your army contacts. This kid apparently enlisted eight years ago." Diggle looked a bit confused.

"In the American military?" Diggle asked.

"Yeah. He tried to enlist when he was sixteen, even though that isn't a thing you can do." Felicity said, smiling. She continued. "His mother, Elise, is American. He was born here. It seems Slade paid child support without a legally binding agreement to do so. Dad of the year. But it looks like Grant just disappears after his failed enlistment. No records. His mother reported him missing, but rescinded it a few days later. That's all." She placed her hands on her lap.

"That's not much to go on." Diggle said, furrowing his brow.

"Felicity, find out where his mother is now. She's our only lead on him." Felicity began typing.

"Looks like she lives in Central City. Do you want me to call Barry?" Felicity asked.

"No, don't bother him. Diggle, pack your things. Thea, I'm leaving you and Felicity behind. Keep the city safe Speedy." Thea rolled her eyes. "Let's go meet Ms. Kimble."

Nyssa examined the rundown apartment as she quietly stalked through it. This was the last safe house Nizar had tracked their quarry to before he disappeared. It appeared empty, but things were so rarely how they appeared. She had her bow drawn and an arrow nocked as she turned a corner in the apartment. The last room stood before her. She crept up to the door and in one fluid motion kicked it down and entered. She heard a small click. _Trap_ she thought, but too late. Something detonated. A flashbang. She was blind and deaf. She stumbled backwards a few feet before hitting something solid. Not a wall. A person. Before she could react a blow knocked her across the room, into the wall. Her vision and most of her hearing returned as she rose. Standing across from her was an individual armored from head to toe in steel. Their helmer had two glowing red eyes, and strapped across their body were packs and weapons. Her enemy unhooked something from his right leg, a small cylindrical object. He pressed something on it and from each end a blade emerged. Such a weapon Nyssa had not seen before. She drew her own sword.

"So you're the one that has been killing my people?" Nyssa said, realigning her stance.

"I am." He replied. His helmet made the words that emerged deep and electronic. His armor looked strong, but there were gaps. She would need to exploit those. He took a step forward.

"Before I kill you, I must know. Why does the prey think itself great enough to hunt the predator? You must have known the League would catch up with you eventually." She said, smiling. He leaned forward a bit.

"I counted on it" he said, unmoving.

"So you posses a death-wish, is that it? I am happy to oblige, but there must have been something else. Some other reason to throw your life away attempting to destroy us." She slowly took a step forward.

"For her" he said, and then pounced. He was faster than Nyssa expected, but she raised her blade in time to parry. It nearly broke her arm to do so. He was strong. They traded blows, neither gaining advantage, until he kicked her through one of the apartment walls. Nyssa recovered quickly, only to see that her opponent had disappeared. She took one step forward, scanning the room. He could not hide from her. A small noise behind her forced a turnaround, but it was too slow. A punch knocked her back into the first room. He followed up this time, picking her up and slamming her onto the floor. She attempted to kick at his feet, hoping to knock him off balance, but it did nothing. He slammed his fist into her stomach. She felt a rib crack. He punched her again in the head, and everything went blurry. She attempted to rise, but he placed his foot on her chest and thrust her back down. His weapon rescinded its blades, and he knelt down next to out what appeared to be a syringe, he injected her with something. She started to lose consciousness.

"Rest up now. We can't have you missing all the fun." She heard as the world slowly drifted from view. All that remained was black.

Oliver and Diggle debated the whole time over whether the Arrow or Mr. Queen should visit Ms. Kimble. Oliver felt more inclined to don his hood, but Diggle insisted that wasn't necessary. Oliver won. They lurked through the darkened apartment complex, examining each door for the right number.

"Thirty-Two B. This is it." Diggle whispered as he prepared the kick the door in. Oliver nocked an arrow.

"Do it." Oliver said, and Diggle obliged. They rushed into the apartment. Scanning the place, they moved into the living room and kitchen area. It wasn't too large, but it was very nice. John took point, moving into a darkened hallway. Oliver stayed behind and waiting for the signal to move up. He lost view of Diggle for a moment, only to hear signs of struggle. He turned and aimed his bow down the hall as someone kicked Diggle back towards Oliver. He released an arrow toward the woman but she knocked it to the side with some sort of axe. John looked up at Oliver.

"It looks like everyone knows how to do that now." He said, finding his footing again. Oliver drew another.

"Who are you?" The woman asked. She looked to be in her early forties, but seemed to be in excellent shape. She had dark red hair.

"We're..." Oliver wasn't sure what to tell her. Clearly she didn't recognize the Arrow.

"Looking for your son, ma'am." Diggle said, lowering his sidearm.

"Grant? Why? What has he done?" She said, still looking ready to wield that axe.

"He's in trouble. We're trying to find him before anyone else get's hurt." She loosened her grip and lowered the axe.

"He never was one for boring. I don't know what I can do for you. I haven't seen him in over two years." She dropped the axe, and Oliver lowered his bow. Diggle holstered his weapon.

"We think he's gotten himself in with the wrong people. We're looking for any information to help find him." Diggle said.

"Well, like I said, it's been over two years since we last talked. One day, he was happy. He was working some private sector job, was in love with a woman. Everything seemed good. Then, from nowhere, I get this call. He's freaking out, not making any sense. I begged him to tell me where he was, let me help, but he wouldn't. He just said that he loved me, no matter what happened. Then he said goodbye and that was it. I went to his old place and found it empty, all his friends said he just disappeared. I stopped looking months ago. He's alive, and if he needs me, he'll reach out." She said. Oliver sighed. That information was less than helpful.

"Is there anything else you know? The name of the woman he was in love with?" Diggle asked.

"He never said. I guess I never did ask the right questions. If you find him, what are you going to do?" She asked. Diggle turned toward Oliver.

"Make sure nobody else gets hurt."

Thea leapt from rooftop to rooftop with ease. Her training, under both Malcolm and her brother, had made her a force to be reckoned with. Felicity, acting as her eyes and ears, directed her where to go as she hunted her prey. He was only a serial robber, but things were slow without H.I.V.E's presence these last few weeks, and until they reappeared, there were other forms of crime to fight. She climbed down a fire escape and found herself in an alley. She ran up a wall and vaulted over a fence. He should be around here somewhere. She turned a corner and readied her bow. After nocking an arrow, she drew, aiming it before her. And before her was nothing. The alley was empty.

"Felicity, where is he?" She asked. Into her ear came Felicity's response.

"He should be there. Traffic cams had him...wait. You actually got there too fast. He should appear in...now." She wasn't wrong. A man entered the alley in a sprint just as Felicity spoke. Thea took a step forward. The man looked up and came to a stop. He was covered in sweat and breathing heavily.

"Three stores in one night, you've been busy. And had you not shot that clerk at shop three, we might not have worried about you. You're lucky he'll make it." She said. The man looked afraid.

"P-Please. I'm not a criminal. He...he said...He said he'd hurt my family if I didn't do what he told me." He half-wept. Thea took another step forward.

"Who made you do this?" She asked. A large thud from behind her was the only answer. She spun around to find a large, armored individual stood before her. His eyes glowed red, and he was heavily armed.

"That will be all Samuel. Give the kids my best." He said in a deep and unnatural voice. He sounded like a machine. She heard her original target run out of the alley. Thea stood utterly still, waiting for this new enemy to make the first move. He didn't.

"Thea Queen." He said. "My quarrel is not with you. Come with me quietly and you will not be harmed." His head turned slightly. Felicity spoke over the comm.

"Thea, what happened? I lost a visual on the alley when the target appeared." Thea did not reply. She only stared at the monster before her.

"I'm not going anywhere with you." She fired an arrow at him. He knocked it away like it was nothing. She drew another and fired. This one he caught. He didn't realize until too late that it was explosive. The force knocked him back into a wall and Thea readied another arrow. She moved slowly towards where he landed. There was dust and smoke blocking her view. After it cleared, she prepared to fire again, but to her confusion, there was no one there. She turned around, searching for her enemy. Felicity was still trying to get her to answer. She finally gave in.

"Felicity, I'm a little busy. Unknown enemy, very good." She trailed off after that. Her opponent reappeared, walking slowly towards her.

"You don't win this Ms. Queen. I promise I'm a gracious host. Really." He said. The tone was flat, unchanging. There was no emotion in it.

"I don't think so." She said, firing an arrow at his head. It bounced harmlessly off his helmet. He shook his head and unhooked a small cylinder from his side. From each side a blade emerged. He charged.

Thea jumped out of the way, but he was right back on her, swinging and thrusting his weapon with a speed she could barely keep up with. She raised her bow at one strike she couldn't dodge, and his blade cut clean through it. She dropped the pieces and leapt backwards. He returned his weapon to its holster and came at her again. She attempted to fight him off, but he was far more skilled in hand to hand. Eventually one of his blows struck her stomach, and she went flying back down the alley. His strength was absurd. She rose, only to find him before her again, delivering punch after punch into her torso. Her attempts to block and evade were fruitless. One finally found its way into her forehead, and she was knocked down once more. Her vision lost clarity, but she could see the outline of him looking over her. And the eyes. She could still see those red eyes. Then everything left, all at once.

Grant looked over his latest victory. A young woman. Twenty maybe. _Thea Queen_. Not his target, but the bait to bring it out. Oliver Queen would not stand to have his sister abducted. How could he? Thea would be safe though. He had no interest in making innocents suffer. No stomach for it. One item on the ever-growing list of reasons why H.I.V.E wasn't working out for him. That, and their utter betrayal. But he pushed those thoughts from his mind. There was work to do. After placing a small note next to her, he bound Ms. Queen and carried her to his truck. No police or witnesses were about, the benefits of working at this hour. He laid her down in the trunk and found his way into the driver's seat. As he began to drive to his Starling City hideout, he wondered how long he had to prepare before Mr. Queen found him. A day, maybe two. His note had all but told them exactly where to find him.

Felicity had called as soon as they returned to Starling. Oliver wasted no time returning to his hideout, and once he entered, he could feel the tension. Felicity was sitting at her post. She didn't notice him return.

"Felicity" He said loudly, barely able to contain himself. "What happened?" She jumped a bit and turned her chair around.

"I've been pouring over the video. I couldn't track his truck. The only thing I found is a little note he left where he took her. I went and got it." She pointed to a small note on the table adjacent. Oliver picked it up. It was plain type face.

"Where it all began?" He read. He was confused. _What did that mean?_

"Oliver, I don't know what refers, but you need your head. He took Thea alive. I don't think she's the target. You are. This is a trap." Diggle said.

"Of course it is John." Oliver let out a deep sigh. "Why was she alone. Where was Laurel?" Felicity looked up at him. She was visibly distressed.

"Detective Lance was in the hospital again. She took the night off to see him. He's okay. She'll be here as soon as she can." Felicity returned to her computer. Oliver was speechless. Not again. He couldn't lose someone else. He had to spring the trap. "Oliver, look." Felicity motioned to one of the screens. On it was security footage of Palmer technologies. An armored man walked slowly into view. He was carrying something. Not something. Someone. Thea.

"Felicity how recent is that?" Oliver asked, walking towards one of his weapon stands and grabbing some arrows.

"Live. Ray sent it over. They flagged what might have been a break-in but he waved his security off of it. He's out of the country currently." Oliver raised his hood back over his head.

"Tell Laurel to meet us there. Let's go."

Grant sat on an office chair staring at his bait. She had come to a few minutes prior and since then had been doing nothing but insulting him. He offered her food and drink, but she less than kindly refused. It would not stop him from partaking. He couldn't remember the last time he had eaten. It was just an apple, but it did wonders. The scotch sitting in the office didn't hurt either. Grant wondered how many would accompany Queen. The boy that followed him hadn't been seen for over two months. But that bodyguard of his would no doubt be here, as would the woman in black. The one with that deafening scream. Grant had taken precautions for that. He had studied them for weeks.

He rose from his chair and pulled the bow off his back. He had began training with it once he set his sights on Queen. After her first death. He didn't just want to beat him. He would beat him at his own game. He put it back. They could arrive any moment. He best be ready. Placing his helmet back on his head, Ms. Queen fell silent. _Finally_.

"Guards are neutralized. We're moving into the elevators now." Diggle said over the comms. Laurel and John were to approach from the elevators. Oliver would arrive through a different means. He broke through the window two floors beneath where Wilson held his sister, and moved towards the stairs. Ascending them, he arrived at his destination and entered the floor aiming down his bow. In the center of the floor laid Thea. She was bound and gagged. She started to shout something, but it was unintelligible. Something stirred in the corner of his vision. He turned and fired at the approaching individual. His arrow was deflected. The individual stopped.

"Grant Wilson." Oliver said, distorting his voice as per usual. He drew another arrow.

"Mr. Queen I'm flattered. You did your homework." The man said, distorting his own voice. "Your sister is free to go. You, however, are not. You're coming with me. A blood debt must be paid. For who you took from this world. From me." Wilson did not move.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Your father lives" Oliver said, answering honestly. Wilson laughed a bit.

"This isn't about him. He was a monster. You really don't know. Is she that far removed from your memory?" Wilson replied. Laurel and Diggle appeared behind his armored assailant.

"Oliver!" Diggle said, firing on Wilson. The rounds did nothing. Wilson drew a bow from his back and fired at Oliver. He dodged and fired his own arrow. It missed. Wilson dove to the right and fired one at Diggle. It narrowly failed to hit its mark. Dig took cover as Laurel moved to engage. Wilson drew a kukri from a shoulder sheath and attacked. Oliver had seen that weapon before. He was too fast for Laurel, and after two missed strikes, he kicked her halfway across the room. Diggle continued to fire, but Wilson paid no mind and attacked Oliver. He lashed out at Oliver with his blade, fast and precise. Oliver did what he could to block with his bow, but Grant was strong. After one particularly strong blow Oliver left a gap in his defense, and Grant took advantage. He punched Oliver, sending his back a few feet. It was extraordinarily painful, reminiscent of the strikes of Mirakuru enhanced warriors.

Diggle moved in and struck Grant in the head with the but of his gun, but it did nothing. Three punches to the center and Diggle was also throw back. Laurel activated her sonic scream, but Wilson was unfazed. He sprinted at her, dodging one of her swings and grabbing her by the throat. Oliver arose and drew and arrow, but not before Grant slammed Laurel into a table, snapping it in half. Oliver loosed an arrow at him, which he struck out of the air with his kukri. WIlson returned the favor with a throwing knife that found its way into Oliver's thigh. He grunted loudly, but continued firing. He tried a trick arrow, a small explosive, that knocked Wilson back but did not stop him. They engaged once more, Oliver dodging most of Wilson's strikes and landing many of his own, but they were of no use. He was too strong.

Suddenly, Oliver had an idea. He jumped back a bit, braced himself, and tackled Wilson back towards the window. He moved him close, but not enough. He backed off a bit, taking a hit to his chest in the process, and tried again. Grant attempted no evasion, simply taking the force of the hit. But this time it was enough, and both of them went spiraling out of the building. Oliver drew a grapple arrow and released. It found its mark and he swung into the window of a lower floor. Once he found his balance, he looked down out the shattered window. Wilson had landed on a car. The alarm was sounding. Oliver was about to stumble off when something caught his eye. Wilson was moving. He got up off the car, and limped down the street. Before disappearing, he looked up, and even from this distance, the glowing red eyes on his helmet were clearly visible. Then he disappeared into the night as Oliver stumbled towards the stairs. He had won this time.

Grant sat in his chair, looking at his leg. It was almost fully healed. He viewed the monitors that lined his north wall. Twelve of them. He sat in silence, watching her die, again and again. He had tried so hard to save her. But he got there too late. So he was forced to relive the moment, again and again. Remember why he does what he does. He stood up and walked through his hideout. He passed by the large cells where he stored his captives. One in particular drew his eye. Nyssa. Her killer. Wilson left H.I.V.E for a reason, but one thing he never opposed was their singular hatred of the League. They were animals. Monsters. And yet...when the time came to slit Nyssa's throat, he had hesitated. He couldn't find it within himself. Not yet. But once Queen joined him, he was certain his resolve would be hardened. He examined the little tracking device that Queen had place before their tumble out the window. He would be here soon enough. Grant needed a drink.

"What are we waiting for?" Diggle asked, loading his sidearm. We know here he is, grab the cure and lets go get him." Oliver paced.

"I agree. I'm due for some payback. I don't like being made the damsel in distress." Thea said, examining her bow. Laurel nodded in agreement. Felicity was the only dissenter.

"We should wait. We don't know anything about this guy. How did he even get the Mirakuru?" She asked to no one in particular.

"Who cares. Maybe daddy gave it to him when he staged his coup and he just got out before we caught him. Maybe he found it later. All we know is that he needs to be stopped. We can't take another outbreak of those freaks." Oliver stood silent, pondering. He finally spoke.

"Diggle's right. We have to get rid of him. Where is he now Felicity?" She turned and typed a bit before bringing up the tracking program.

"Looks like he is still holed up in the Glades, under an old health clinic. You know, with all the rebuilding projects, creeps like him are gonna run out of places to hide."

"Alright. We go in, use the cure on him, and subdue. We need him alive. We need to know where the Mirakuru came from, and anything he can tell us about H.I.V.E. He defected. His intel is invaluable." They geared up and left without another word.

Once arriving at the clinic, they entered slowly, with Oliver on point, ready to fire a cure arrow. Thea also possessed them, and Diggle and Laurel had syringes to use if they had to. His armor was strong, but there had been gaps. Diggle kicked down the door to the basement and Oliver went through. It was larger than he suspected. Towards the end of the room stood a poorly concealed metal door. Oliver spoke over the comm.

'Felicity, this door has a passcode. Can you hack it?" Oliver waited for a moment.

"No. Its not connected to any network. But remember, he's former H.I.V.E. We can try one of those passcodes we pulled off the last agent we ran into. Put in eight, four, nine, seven, eight." Oliver tried it. Red light. Failure.

"Wasn't it." He said.

"Alright, try five, four, five, three, one." Oliver entered the next set. The pad blinked red three times and then green. He heard a lock move within the door. He slowly pushed it until the door was fully open. Moving inside with his team behind, he saw the bunker was anything but small. He tread down a hallway until it opened up into a large room. It was poorly lit and concrete. At the far end of the room were cells of some sort. Oliver and his companions moved down to the cells with haste, discovering their contents.

"The missing League members." Diggle said as they looked at the first prisoner.

"Nyssa!" Laurel said as she moved to the one furthest away. "Are they alive?" She asked.

"Yeah, it looks like it. Probably just sedated." Diggle replied. They all looked over the locking mechanism. There was nothing to pick or break off. Electronic seals most likely. Oliver addressed his team.

"Nothing we can do for them now." He looked at the only door in the room. It was slightly ajar. There was light coming from it. "There. Move up." He said, preparing a cure arrow. Diggle pulled the door open slowly and Oliver flew inside, checking corners. This room was not nearly as large, and on the opposite wall rested what must have been a dozen monitors. They were all playing the same thing. There was a large chair before them, turned away from him, but on a table to the side sat Wilson's helmet. The chair spun and Oliver loosed the cure arrow into nothing but upholstery. Over the intercom a voice filled the room.

"Mr. Queen. Assorted assistants and associates" Diggle scoffed. "If you'll take a look at the monitors." They all looked at what the screens were replaying. A rush of clarity overcame Oliver. What Wilson had said at Palmer technologies made sense. The monitors were showing security footage from the night of Slade's assault on Starling, specifically footage showing the death of Isabel Rochev. It kept replaying. Her neck snapping at the hands of Nyssa al-Ghul. Wilson was after revenge not for his father, but for Isabel. "This is what I see in my head every day." The intercom fell silent.

"Did you ever consider blaming your father, the one who pulled her into his crusade?" Diggle said loudly.

"Of course." The monitors switched visuals. Camera feeds from the supermax prison on Lian Yu. It showed Wilson entering his father's cell. Then the audio played.

"Hello dad." He said, closing the door behind him.

"Hey there Grant." Slade smirked. Grant punched his father into the wall. "Someone's been working out. Were you..." Slade's voice trailed off.

"Mirakuru? No. H.I.V.E did this using, other means. I wouldn't poison myself with the drug that drove you mad." Slade spit on the ground.

"Well regardless, it's good to see you. I didn't know A.R.G.U.S allowed family visitation."

"They don't.. And we're not family. Not anymore. Not after you got her killed." Grant moved towards his father.

"This is about her? I told you she was trouble kid. You're better off without her. She slept with Queen." Grant sat on Slade's bed. Slade just slumped against the wall he was thrust into.

"I'm not surprised. She was instructed to gain his confidence, and she was nothing if not thorough. But if you think that's enough to make me forget her."

"Anyone who was so eager to take revenge over a lost lover isn't over that love. Trust me. She was never all yours."

"She almost was. After the Queen's Gambit went down...she learned to live with it. Accept it. When I met her, she was not hell bent on revenge. Even when they found Queen alive, she was willing to let go. But then you came. You dangled revenge in her face. Told her how right it was, how easy it would be. I..." Grant's voice wavered. "I begged her not to go. Pleaded. But I couldn't stop her. She said after this was done, she could move forward unburdened. So I backed off. I knew what you were doing was wrong, but I let her go. I thought you would keep her safe. I thought my FATHER!" Grant leapt across the room and struck Slade in the face. "Would protect the woman I loved." He backed off as Slade's mouth leaked a little blood. "We were never...close. But I loved you. And I thought you loved me, as much as you could love a kid you saw every two or three years. But after the island...your hate outweighed everything else. I got in touch with Rose. You didn't even tell her you were alive." Grant sat back down on the bed.

"I tried kid. I tried to let go. But I couldn't. Shado, she wouldn't leave me. I'm sorry kid." Slade said, rising.

"I'm past believing that dad." Grant moved towards the cell door. "I am more like you than I thought though. I'm going after the one's who did this to her. Who...killed her. You should be proud."

"Let me out of here kid. I'll help you...help you take revenge." Slade moved towards his son. Grant outstretched his hand towards his father. As Slade reached to take it, Grant kicked him back into the wall, breaking small pieces of concrete off it.

"I'm sorry. I said I was taking my revenge. You were part of her fall. Leaving you here to rot is the best revenge I can think of." He said, closing the cell door and locking it. "Goodbye Slade." Slade looked at his son and began to shout and swear. Grant just walked off, out of view of the camera. The view shifted to the one before, of the killing of Isabel Rochev. But it didn't repeat. It continued. The intercom lit up once more.

"She didn't die that night. It seemed residual Mirakuru effects kept her barely alive. But not for long, not without help." The screens showed Grant, in full armor, dropping into view from above and striking down two league members with some dual bladed weapon. He knocked the third into a wall and then knelt beside Isabel's body. Then he turned to the assassin he only kicked, and slowly pushed his blade into his thigh. Over the intercom he narrated as the video showed him torturing the assassin. "He was resilient at first. But superhuman strength has a way of persuading even the most stout of heart, especially when you prevent them from taking that poison they carry. I got the names of all who were there, all who contributed to her death. When I was done, I knocked him out. If he had a part in it, what I had done right there was worse than killing him. I was ready to hunt you all down at that very moment. But then I heard it. Faint breathing. Not his, and not the other two. Isabel yet lived." The screen showed him picking her body up and leaving view. They cut to black. The intercom shut off.

"I took her to some old friends at H.I.V.E, one's who weren't completely brainwashed, and asked them for help." The voice was not over the comm. Oliver and his companions turned and aimed their weapons at the door they entered in as Grant Wilson entered the room. Oliver could see Slade in there, but he was young, early twenties, and his hair was lighter and shorter. Oliver returned the cure arrow and drew a regular one. "H.I.V.E found out, and almost a year of hard work attempting to fix her spine and bring her out of a coma was rendered worthless when they raided my safe-house. They killed my friends and shot up the machine keeping her alive. They were in the final stages of saving her. Days away from applying the regenerative effects of my own transformation without the strength or speed. She was lost to me once more. I killed every single agent they sent in that night. It didn't help." Grant took a step closer.

"And what, are we supposed to feel bad for you? You lost someone. Doesn't give you the right to go on a rampage." Diggle's finger wrapped around the trigger of his sidearm.

"I know. I don't even have the stomach for it. The one's on my list who wouldn't go down, those I killed. But these I couldn't. Ask your friend Nyssa. I dragged her out of her cell yesterday with the intention of cutting her throat. I couldn't. It seems, to my chagrin and my relief, I am not my father." He slowly reached for his Kukri, unsheathed it, and tossed it on the floor. He did the same with his double bladed monstrosity. "You're free to take the League members with you on the way out. Kill me if you must. Take me in. I'm dead already. I died three weeks ago when I watched them put her body into an armored vehicle and drive off." He fell to his knees. The team didn't know what to make of this.

"I don't buy it. This is a trap Oliver." Laurel whispered to Oliver. Diggle chimed in.

"I agree." Oliver kept his bow aimed steadily at Grant. Out of nowhere, Felicity spoke up.

"Wait, guys. Oliver, ask him where that armored truck was. Ask him where his safehouse was." Felicity said into all of their earpieces.

"I don't understand." Thea said.

"Just do it." Felicity replied. Oliver partially lowered his bow.

"Grant, where did that armored truck leave from? Where was your safe-house?" Oliver asked. Grant looked up, the picture of a broken man.

"Uh. Here. In Starling. On Muller Ave." He looked just as confused as the rest of them. Felicity spoke once more.

"Guys, we tracked a H.I.V.E armored vehicle three weeks ago. Remember what we found?" The memory returned to Oliver's mind.

"Nothing. Just three dead H.I.V.E agents." Thea spoke into her mike.

"And what else was in the truck?" Felicity said, baiting them to figure out what she already knew.

"Some medical equipment. It kind of looked like an armored ambulance." Diggle said, understanding what she was getting at as soon as he finished. Oliver understood as well.

"Grant..." Oliver said as Grant began to stand up. "Isabel may not be dead. We hit a H.I.V.E truck three weeks back, only to find it empty, besides three unfortunate guards." Grant's mouth opened slightly. His eyes widened.

"You mean..." He could barely say the words. "She may yet live?" He said, in utter disbelief.

"Maybe. If we ca-" The sound of an small explosion interrupted their conversation. The team looked to Oliver, who in turn looked at Grant.

"H.I.V.E. They've caught up with me." Grant reached for his blades. Diggle raised his weapon back up and aimed it at Grant. He looked over to see Oliver shaking his head. Diggle lowered his pistol once more.

"If we knew the code to this place, why didn't they?" Thea asked.

"I force sealed the bunker after you entered. They needed another route in. Get ready." As Grant finished speaking, rifle rounds began bouncing around the room as the enemy opened fire. Men and women in blue and yellow armor filled the breach as Wilson and Laurel engaged them. Oliver, Thea, and Diggle remained behind, firing into their ranks. "Oliver, that switch!" Grant said as he yanked his blade out of a fallen enemy. "It will release the assassins." Oliver turned and fired an arrow at what looked like the switch Grant was talking about. The cells opened, and two of the assassins emerged, one of them being Nyssa. She immediately neutralized an enemy with her bare hands and requisitioned a blade off of their corpse. The other two assassins seemed to still be sedated. The fight raged on, but they were holding their own. Laurel used her sonic scream which bought a few moments for Oliver and the others to gain the upper hand. They started pushing the enemy agents back. Their armor, unlike Grant's, was little help against Oliver and Thea's arrows. Diggle cried out from Oliver's right. He had been struck, but when Oliver looked at him, he nodded. A graze.

Some sort of explosive round ripped through Grant's armor, sending him at least ten feet back in the process. The others Kept fighting, kept firing. Oliver moved up to deal with them by hand, to compensate for the wounded Grant. He could see there weren't many left, and those that could still stand were falling back. A few seconds passed, and the bunker fell silent. It was over for now. Oliver moved toward Grant, who had dragged himself to a wall and was sitting up. He removed his helmet and spit blood. There was internal damage.

"I'll be fine. Give me a few hours and it will be like it never happened." Oliver believed that. "That being said, you all best be making your way out of here. They'll be back, and instead of sending twenty they'll send a hundred. I don;t know what they're planning, but as you can see, subtlety is becoming less important to them by the day." He coughed, and more blood dripped from his mouth. Oliver stood up only to see Nyssa moving towards them. She had recovered her bow. She drew an arrow and aimed it right at Grant's head.

"Seven of my people are dead, by his hand. I am owed his life." She said, spitting venom along with words. Oliver moved between her and Grant.

"Did he spare you? Did he refrain from cutting your throat when he had you prisoner?" Oliver said with a lack of enthusiasm. Convincing Nyssa of anything was a difficult task.

"And so I am to spare him because he is a coward who lost his nerve; no. Stand aside husband." There was the slightest flicker of humor in that. Oliver cracked the semblance of a smile.

"We need his intel. Step back Nyssa." His volume rose and his voice carried far. Nyssa stared him down, but eventually she conceded. She rejoined her subordinates and left the bunker. Nyssa was never much for idle conversation. Oliver looked at the others. Diggle was less than pleased.

"Look Oliver, I get that you're over killing. And yes, we need intel on H.I.V.E. So lets get that, and leave him for his former masters." Laurel nodded in agreement. Thea gave no indication of her opinion.

"Leaving him here is the same as killing him. And if they don't kill him, they'll just turn him back to their side, and we'll have to fight him again. He comes with us." He looked down at Grant, who had since passed out. Grant was dangerous, Grant was not a friend. But he wasn't his father either. He deserved a second chance.

He dreamed of her. Of their time before she was consumed by her hate. Or maybe after. Maybe he had found her once more, and they were together. Maybe she was dead, and so was he, and they were together in whatever happens after this. He didn't know. He didn't care. But soon enough, the facade faded. All went to black, before inevitably returning to color. To shape. He gasped.

"Grant." He heard as he opened his eyes. It was Oliver and his companions. He was surprised. He expected to have been left behind.

"Yeah?" was all the reply he could muster. He looked down. His abdomen was healing. A few more hours and it would be like it never happened. He looked to his captors. His saviors. Perhaps a bit of both.

"Grant, are you with us?" He asked. Grant surveyed the room. It was metallic and well furnished. Oliver was there, as was Diggle. Thea as well. The one in black, Laurel, was not there. But someone he had not seen was. A blonde sitting at a computer. This one he did not know. She must have sensed his confusion, for she began to speak.

"Felicity Smoak. I'm the brains behind this whole operation." She turned to Oliver. "Wait he isn't still trying to kill us is he?" Oliver nodded. "Good."

"Hello Ms. Smoak. I'm sure you know who I am." Grant mustered as much of a smile as he could.

"Yes, I do, and I have to ask, how did you fall in love with Isabel Rochev?" She spoke a mile a minute. "I mean, aside from the homicidal tendencies, she was so cold and callous and such a bit-" A glare from Oliver quieted her quickly.

"I...understand your surprise. Believe me when I say she was not always like that. And I hope to find she is no longer that person." He sat up. The pain wasn't too bad anymore.

"There will be time enough for talk of Isabel later. Grant, we need to know what H.I.V.E is planning." Oliver pulled his hood back and took his mask off. Thea did the same.

"I truly wish I could tell you. They operate on a strict hierarchy. And I was never more than halfway up it. I couldn't even say. But I can tell you this: it won't be as blunt as my father's attack or as genocidal as Ra's' plan. H.I.V.E does not want to rule over ruins. They are not butchers. Everything they do has a purpose. I always assumed it was subtle influence over major events, but I fear their plans are much larger now." Oliver looked concerned. Not scared, nor worried, but he looked as if his mind was racing through all of the worst case scenarios. Grant continued, "And...you're on their radar. You are a huge blip on their radar. I knew about you before I sought revenge. Whatever their plans, they include you." They all looked concerned, none more so than Felicity. He could see it in her face. What he used to see on Isabel's. Love. She loved Oliver, and not from afar. He was more difficult to read, by a mile, but Grant was willing to bet it was requited.

"Well Grant, I suppose you'll want to know about Isabel." Felicity said. She understood him, on some level. She kept returning to Isabel. He was grateful for her insistence.

"I am truly sorry for what she attempted to do. And I know you must hate her. But thank you. For telling me." Felicity smiled.

"This is all the information we collected from the armored car." She showed him a flash drive. "We didn't find any evidence that could tell us she was even there, but maybe something on here means more to you than us." She handed him the drive, "Now, I have to ask: if your father found after you two had met, how did you two meet?" Thea stepped forward as Felicity spoke.

"Yeah I was actually wondering that too. I kind of just assumed you met her while your dad was planning his evil crusade." Oliver looked uninterested, and Diggle hadn't removed his glare since Grant had awoken, but even he seemed to show a hint of interest.

"H.I.V.E, while I still worked for them, had an interest in world affairs. Agents were regularly positioned in places of importance. I was originally stationed on the east coast, but they moved me to Seattle and positioned me in Stellmoor International. I met Isabel theret. She was quickly being promoted up the ranks, and I guess I caught her eye. I never made it as high as she did, and I wasn't supposed to, but even when she moved ten floors above me, we still saw each other. Eventually we saw each other outside of work, in public. And then, we started seeing each other in private." He smirked. Thea laughed just a bit. "I kept not boring her long enough to fall in love. Took her a little longer, but she fell too. I was, nineteen maybe, when we met. She was twenty seven I think. I liked them older." He let out a little laugh. "I was twenty when I told her I loved her. She was the best thing H.I.V.E ever gave me, and they didn't even mean to." He smiled. Felicity and Thea returned the favor. Even Diggle's frown became less pronounced.

"That's what I wanted to ask about. How did you get wrapped up in H.I.V.E when you were sixteen?" Diggle asked, taking a few steps toward Grant.

"Before his mission to Lian Yu, Slade was a good father. Not perfect, not always there, but he visited when he could. He had a family in Australia, but he saw to my needs. He met my mother while he was jointly training with American Special Forces. They didn't last, but they made me, so I was pretty pleased with the outcome. I worshiped the ground he walked on. So when it was time for me to become a soldier, I jumped at the opportunity. But I lied about my age and they figured it out. Not before H.I.V.E got their hands on my medical information though. I was a perfect candidate for their genetic enhancement program, and when they reached out, I said yes. Figured they were some secret branch of the military. I was wrong." Grant lowered his legs off the table and stood.

"What made you leave?" Diggle asked, folding his arms.

"A lot. They killed innocent people when it suited them. I started to glean their true purpose as time went on, but the final straw was when they tasked me to kill my father. At this point he was Deathstroke, and he was cutting a bloody swath across the world, but even then I couldn't kill him. I left the next day. A few friends left with me. But my freedom was short lived. Control from without become control from within once Isabel was thrown into that coma, and then eventually killed. Well, presumed killed." Grant walked over to his gear. He pulled what appeared to be a hard drive out of a bag. "You're lucky you grabbed this when you took me. This is everything I have on H.I.V.E. Agents I know, defectors they're hunting. things I was a part of, things I know are supposed to happen. Everything I know about Damien Darhk." That name drew Oliver's gaze. "This is far more use to you than I ever could be." They never took him out of his armor. He had just realized. That was good. Made it easier to leave. "I need to go. Every minute I wait she gets farther away. She's alone out there. No family. No friends. I have to find her. They used some of my blood when they saved her, which means she got a piece of what H.I.V.E did to me. It didn't permanently warp my mind, like Mirakuru does, but when I came out of those experiments, I wasn't right for weeks. I need to find her before she hurts anyone else, or herself. Thank you. All of you. Oliver." Grant reached his hand out towards the Green Arrow. Oliver hesitated, then reached out as well and they shook.

"Will we see you again?" Thea asked.

"I imagine you will. Take this." He handed her a small piece of tech. "Hit that button, it will set off the identical one in my bag there. You need me, you call. H.I.V.E will not lay down and die. You'll need all the help you can find before you face them. You salvaged my world. The least I can do is be there to help defend yours." Grant nodded, picked up his things, and left by means of the staircase across the room. He moved through the building, exited through a small backdoor and felt a warm breeze dance by. Something he had not taken notice of in a while. It was dark. The city was quiet, empty. But he stirred. She was out there, somewhere. And he would find her. He had to find her. They say love is the most powerful emotion. But when it leaves, the hole can only be filled with something worse. He lost her once. He would be damned before he lost her again.


End file.
